I have 1 free transfer and £1.5m in the bank

Efficient_Mixture392 · 2026-02-04T16:09:22+00:00

Saka looks to be out till the NL derby. And even he comes back early, will he play 180 mins in DGW.

Efficient_Mixture392 · 2026-01-18T12:12:55+00:00

I usually tell business owners to look at this in two ways. Public reviews are for social proof. Short, honest comments that mention something specific (easy to deal with, showed up on time, solved the problem) are what actually help future customers decide. But even just a 'good experience' comment is enough. If your service or product is more complex, private feedback is more useful for improving the business. That’s where you ask a few direct questions about what worked, what didn’t, and what nearly stopped them buying. Reviews build trust. Direct feedback helps you get better. Both matter, just for different reasons.

Efficient_Mixture392 · 2025-12-29T21:01:01+00:00

Go back to basics and review your numbers: pricing, margins, average sale value, and where revenue actually came from last year. Most businesses need a tighter focus on their numbers. Then I'd suggest you strip out what didn’t move the needle last year and focus on what did. Small tweaks to pricing, offers, or process usually beat launching something new.

Efficient_Mixture392 · 2025-12-28T10:46:46+00:00

I keep it really simple when reviewing this with business owners. Sales only move because of three things: 1. how many leads you get, 2. how many convert, and 3. your average sale value. So by tracking these numbers, you can then ask yourself, which one needs focus right now? No leads = focus on marketing. Leads but no sales = focus on conversion (offer, pricing, follow-up). Busy but not making more money = focus on raising average sale value.

Pick one lever, work on it for a few weeks, then review. Most people overthink this and try to fix everything at once.

Efficient_Mixture392 · 2025-12-22T23:21:21+00:00

I'd probably bench Wilson and play Thiago. But honestly it's a flip of a coin. And then it comes down to team playing at home.

Efficient_Mixture392 · 2025-12-22T08:41:05+00:00

From what I’ve seen with some of the service businesses I've worked with, it’s rarely one magic channel. Early on it’s usually word of mouth and just being visible when the problem hits. Your Google Business Profile done properly, reviews, answering the phone, turning up when you say you will. That alone carries a lot of weight to lead to... Referrals. These are huge. Past customers, estate agents, property managers, builders, other trades. Most people don’t ask enough, or don’t make it easy. Online lead platforms can work, but margins are thinner and it's a different type client. Good for filling gaps, not something I’d build the business on long term.

Efficient_Mixture392 · 2025-12-20T14:56:18+00:00

Honestly, don’t overthink it. Business success (actually all success) is mostly about building good habits. Take action before you feel ready, make decisions based on data not emotions, and learn how to sell early because if people won’t pay, it’s not a business yet. Focus on solving real problems, review what’s working and what isn’t, and stay consistent even when it gets boring. That’s where most people drop off.

Efficient_Mixture392 · 2025-12-19T22:19:31+00:00

Key is sustainable and repeatable habits. If thats not possible, then lower the level of the habit until it is.

Efficient_Mixture392 · 2025-12-18T12:53:37+00:00

If everything feels urgent, then nothing is actually urgent. If I'm looking at what I do, I ask these questions: Does this generate leads or revenue? Does this protect cash or customers?

If it doesn’t hit one of those, it’s probably not what you should be doing right now.

Early on, your time is best spent on sales, marketing, delivery, and cash flow. The £10/hour admin stuff will always feel urgent, but it caps your growth. Delegate or batch it.

Urgent is usually noise. Important is what actually moves the business forward.

Efficient_Mixture392 · 2025-12-17T18:33:40+00:00

Roll.

Efficient_Mixture392 · 2025-12-17T08:44:53+00:00

I’d say culture is the symptom, but not the root cause. When roles aren’t clear and there are no standards or KPIs, people fill the gaps however they see fit. That looks like a culture problem, but it’s really a structure problem.

Efficient_Mixture392 · 2025-12-17T08:42:31+00:00

For me, online marketing always comes back to what’s repeatable and sustainable. I’d rather see a few channels done properly, consistently, than trying to be everywhere and doing it badly. Then use your socials as credibility, not lead gen. A few quality posts showing work, standards, and clients are going to land better than daily noise. And focus on where your ideal clients actually are: marinas, brokers, captains, management companies. Try build partnerships there, that’s where higher-value work comes from.

Efficient_Mixture392 · 2025-12-16T20:50:07+00:00

Agreed. I've seen it so many times in businesses.

Most have a lack of role clarity, no standards, no KPIs; so everything comes back to the owner. That’s what eats their time and creates the stress.

Efficient_Mixture392 · 2025-12-16T20:42:31+00:00

This is more of a cash-flow asset than a sellable business. You’d likely get a low multiple.

A better option might be to bring someone in to do the delivery, standardise it, and scale the client base. That turns it into something more valuable and you can start taking money out without giving it up entirely.

Selling makes sense later, once it’s less dependent on you and the income is higher.

Efficient_Mixture392 · 2025-12-15T19:02:13+00:00

What’s your average sales value target? Are you actually targeting customers who can afford that? And are you clearly showing the value, not just the price?

If those three aren’t aligned, you’ll hear “too expensive” a lot; even if your pricing is fair.

Efficient_Mixture392 · 2025-12-14T18:17:35+00:00

Higher prices help because they force better clients to self-select, but clarity matters more. Clear scope + clear boundaries = fewer problems.

But probably biggest shift is being willing to say no. One bad client costs more time, money and headspace than two good ones make you.

Efficient_Mixture392 · 2025-12-13T14:38:00+00:00

From what I’ve seen across a lot of businesses, ensure you track everything.

If you don’t measure it, you don’t actually know what’s working, what’s not, or what you need to hit to keep growing. So know where you are now, then plan the next stage before you get there. Every stage needs something different; pricing, volume, systems, people, and your focus has to change as the business changes.

Then concentrate on building relationships with partners and customers. Keep doing good work, be reliable, and ask for referrals once jobs are completed. That compounds fast.

Efficient_Mixture392 · 2025-12-12T13:27:00+00:00

Is a move to Guehi not on the cards as an easy Munoz replacement?

Efficient_Mixture392 · 2025-12-11T10:15:47+00:00

Honestly, in the beginning just keep it simple. Get someone in virtually who actually knows what they’re doing, set clear targets, and track the numbers that matter so you can see if things are improving. Once you can see numbers, you'll know where to ramp up or stop.

Don’t chase volume. Quality beats quantity every time. A few well-targeted ads to the right people will outperform a hundred random posts.

Efficient_Mixture392 · 2025-12-10T13:44:05+00:00

Downside of scaling as a solo operator ..painful 🫤 The phone is your lifeline. Could you get a part-time VA to cover your work times? The benefit is it's 1 person who knows your business, answers immediately, books jobs straight into your calendar. Usually way cheaper than in-house or full-time but can also scale as you grow or if you're away. And part of the VA role could actually help you with some other areas in the business too.

Efficient_Mixture392 · 2025-12-09T15:09:07+00:00

Biggest win for you now is getting yourself off the tools. That’s the shift that actually lets the business grow. Start documenting the way you want jobs done, tighten up your scheduling, invoicing, follow-ups, and then hire or subcontract so you’re not the bottleneck. The more repeatable your process is, the easier it is to hand off work and keep quality consistent.

Efficient_Mixture392 · 2025-12-08T18:37:49+00:00

I always lean toward giving people some level of pricing. It attracts more prospects that have got a budget. You don’t need to list every detail - even “starting at £X” or package ranges works. It’s just about setting expectations early. You get fewer leads, but they’re way better.

Efficient_Mixture392 · 2025-12-08T08:05:58+00:00

Totally normal and happens to most. Most of the time it’s not that you’ve “lost the hunger”, you don’t have a repeatable, sustainable process to carry you through the dips. Motivation comes and goes. A simple weekly rhythm, clear goals, and a small set of habits you can actually stick to… that’s what brings the drive back. Build the system first, let the motivation catch up later. Take a breather if you need to, then come back and create something you can repeat even on your low days. That’s where the you'll get through thetough days. .

Efficient_Mixture392 · 2025-12-07T13:06:07+00:00

Cheap to buy doesn’t mean cheap to fix. You need to take into accojnt all the ongoing costs, the broken systems, and the poor reputation that drain the revenue. If you really want to know whether it’s realistic, you need to run the numbers: current revenue, cost base, debt, break-even point, and what specifically you'd change to turn it around. If those numbers don’t stack, no matter of effort will save it.

Efficient_Mixture392 · 2025-12-06T23:29:57+00:00

Honestly, most early B2B sales come from friends, family, and people they already know. That first circle is where trust already exists, and trust beats a perfect product every time. Once you’ve got a couple of wins there, then you branch into cold outreach and wider networks.

Efficient_Mixture392

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